Electronic image sensors are widely used to produce video and photographic images. The electronic image sensors typically comprise pixel sensors that are arranged in an array of rows and columns. The image sensors typically read pixel values by using a horizontal scan circuit to sequentially address pixel columns. A charge amplifier is often used to read the charge of pixels of the pixel columns as the pixels are addressed by the horizontal scan circuit.
Conventional pixel arrays are arranged with a relatively large D-type flip-flop being associated with each column of pixels. As pixel sizes (“pitches”) decrease, it is becoming correspondingly more difficult to efficiently arrange the D-type flip-flops and/or pixel columns on the image sensor die wherein each flip-flop is associated with an individual pixel column.
An appreciation of the present invention and its improvements can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments of the invention, and to the appended claims.